Crucible cap and guard



Units STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. HORN, OF \VATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

CRUCIBLE CAP AND GUARD.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,958, dated February 15, 1887.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLEs C. HORN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vaterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crucible Caps and Guards,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in crucibles for melting metal, brass, and other alloys of metal; andthe object of my improvement is to provide a cap and guard which is separate from the crucible, and which may be placed thereon when the metal is to be poured, for the purposes hereinafter named.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of my cap and guard as placed upon a crucible. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on line a: .r of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a reverse plan view of my cap and guard of a slightly different construction, and Fig. 4 is a plan view showing another modification of cap and guard as placed on a crucible.

A designates the cap or cover, B the guard, and C the crucible. The cap or cover has an opening or notch, a, at one edge. hen the cap is to be used, it is placed on the crucible C with the notch a registering with or over the spout b of the crucible, as shown. The guard B extends downward from the under side of the cap by the inner edge of the notch, and is preferably of the same curve as the notch, as shown in Fig. 3 and as indicated by broken lines in Figs. 1 and 4.. This guard may be cast or formed in one and the same piece with the cap, as shown in Fig. 2 and as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3; or, if desired, it maybe formed of a separate piece and provided with a lateral flange, 0, by which to secure it to the cover by means of a screw or bolt, (1, as shown in Fig. 3. This will permit of the guard being made of a different material from the cover for better resisting the action of the molten metal, and also admit of a new guard being attached to the cover when it is burned off so as to become too short. If the hole in the flange 0, through which the bolt (1 passes, be made a little larger than the bolt,or if it be elongated a little, the guard will be adjustable on the cover.

Ifdesired, lugs ff, Fig. 3, may be formed on the under side of the cap near its edge to catch upon the upper edge of the crucible on the outside or inside,to assist to keep the cover in place.

In Fig. 4 the cap or cover A A is made smaller, so as to cover onlya partof the crucible; but I prefer a full cover, as shown in the other figures.

The cover is removed and the metal is melted in the crucible in the ordinary manner. \Vhen ready to pour, the cap and guard are placed 011 the crucible, as shown, and held there by any suitable means-as, for instance, the guard B and lugs f f, or by the tongs with which the crucible is handled and the metal is then poured into molds. The cover keeps the metal from rapidly cooling or oxidizing and prevents the escape of noxious gases, while the guard B prevents the dross or scum from being run into the molds. The metal which flows from the spout runs up from the bottom of the guard, while the dross is above the lower end of the guard and is kept back by the body of said guard. The use of this cap and guard results in better castings, makes a great saving in metal, and saves the labor of skimming or removing the dross previous to pouring.

I am aware that a prior patent shows and describes a crucible with an upright diaphragm or wall between the spout and the body of the crucible, the said diaphragm being provided with an opening or channel near the lower end of the spout and at the top of said diaphragm with a lateral flange or partial cover, all being homogeneous and forming a single piece. Such a crucible is hereby disclaimed.

I claim as my invention- A crucible-cap having an opening or notch for registering with the crucible-spout and the guard B, extending downwardly from said cap by the side of said notch, said cap and guard being separate from the crucible and adapted to be placed thereon preparatory to pouring, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

CHARLES C. HORN.

itnesses:

J AMES SHEPARD, JOHN EDWARDS, Jr. 

